North Korea sending trash-carrying balloons to South Korea

As of Wednesday morning local time, the South Korean side had discovered 90 balloons, with some of them still floating in the air.

South Korea’s military has discovered about 90 balloons carrying waste and trash that were allegedly launched from North Korea.

On May 29, the South Korean military reported that it was taking measures after discovering objects in borderline areas which they initially thought to be propaganda leaflets. The army advised local residents not to approach the items and report them to the authorities and police. That said, the news agency reported a bad smell emanating from cargo the balloons were carrying and it was presumed that bags may contain waste.

On May 26, North Korean Deputy Defence Minister Kim Kang Il said that the DPRK would take retaliatory measures in response to South Korean activists spreading anti-government leaflets. “Mounds of wastepaper and filth will soon be scattered over the border areas and the interior of [South Korea] and it will directly experience how much effort is required to remove them,” said Kim.

As of Wednesday morning local time, the South Korean side had discovered 90 balloons, with some of them still floating in the air.

Defectors turned activists have been sending balloons carrying propaganda materials to North Korea for years. On May 10, in addition to leaflets, they launched USB sticks containing K-Pop music videos.